The Siege

The three thousand cavalry led by Ria were mostly from the Manesh Kingdom, soldiers who had tasted victory in that battle.

Accompanying them, Ria was operating two precious dragoons that Casalia had lent her.

In war, dragoons were famous as the ultimate spear, capable of attacking from the sky or charging with even greater force than cavalry, but Ria decided to use them exclusively for reconnaissance.

"You won't count us as combat strength?"

"Flying dragons are certainly strong, but they're powerless before the might of an army. It would be different if we could deploy them in concentrated numbers like Casalia does."

Those who accompanied her on this march were Carla, Fio, and Serge. Everyone else was staying behind.

Shizuna, who wasn't well-versed in cavalry operations, was also staying behind. More precisely, she was scheduled to join the main army that would cut off Cordova's retreat.

The only exception was Serge, who had once again been drafted as the transport personnel for siege supplies. He was currently riding on Rudolph's back.

"Well, if I don't have to fight, that's easy enough."

This operation was simple. Pin down Cordova's forces at Saraf, then cut their supply lines with beastkin troops.

Block Cordova's path as they give up the siege and attempt to return home with the combined forces of Manesh and Casalia.

Then the forces departing from Saraf would catch Cordova's army in a pincer attack from front and rear, annihilating them.

"Will it really go that smoothly?"

The night before they would arrive at Saraf, the four de facto leaders gathered in a tent.

Even Carla, who had witnessed Ria's magnificent tactics that crushed Cordova, felt uneasy.

Fio, who was joining a military campaign for the first time, had her lips pale with tension.

"Well, it probably won't go smoothly."

Ria said plainly.

"First, there's the question of whether Saraf can hold out against Cordova's forces."

Ria listed each point of concern one by one.

"Cutting the enemy's supply lines is something we did before, so they'll be on high alert. It's also doubtful whether our main army can catch the enemy at the right timing. And even if everything goes well, whether we can win…"

"Our main army alone numbers sixty thousand, and more forces should deploy from Saraf as well…"

Having received training as a knight, Fio believed they could win if they just succeeded in holding the siege. After all, the enemy numbered thirty-six thousand, so they had nearly double the forces.

"Cordova is a country that regularly defeats enemies with two or three times their numbers…"

Even in the recent battle, their infantry's tenacity was impressive, and their cavalry withdrew from the battlefield splendidly.

Without the ogres' charge, while they wouldn't have lost, they probably wouldn't have achieved such a complete victory.

"Well, we have various secret weapons, so let's play it by ear."

With that, Ria ended the strategy meeting.

Looking at the town of Saraf, Ria thought this was bad.

It was a typical fortress city surrounded by a water moat and walls. But the moat was narrow and the walls were low. This defense hadn't been built with the idea of facing an army.

"Your Majesty, welcome."

When the mayor came out to greet Ria, she cut off his welcoming speech and immediately decided to inspect the city's defenses.

"The moat is shallow."

"We haven't been attacked by enemies for many years…"

"The walls are low too."

"That's for the same reason…"

She wasn't particularly criticizing him, but the mayor's voice grew smaller and smaller.

"How many soldiers do you have?"

"Three thousand between mercenaries and guards, and five thousand volunteers have gathered."

That seemed like a decent number, but when she looked at the volunteers, they included children, people who couldn't move properly due to injuries, and frail old men.

"Carla, heal the sick and injured. Fio, sort out those who can't fight and assign them to rear support."

The volunteers they could actually use were probably half at best.

"What about defensive weapons and armor?"

"We have some prepared, but… the smiths are working at full capacity right now."

That wouldn't be ready in time. The mercenaries and guards already had their own equipment, but Ria would have to make enough for the volunteers.

When she actually looked at the armory, there were many weapons that had been neglected and couldn't be used.

"Are there any logs?"

"Logs?"

"Logs. To drop on enemies climbing the walls, and to reinforce the walls."

"I don't know. I'll have someone check."

Ria's genesis magic required a large amount of magical power to create wood. In the worst case, she would have to create massive metal rods, but that would also consume a lot of magic.

Arrows were also in short supply. She would have to make those as well.

"You're drawing water from the river to the east, I see. Any concern about them stopping the river's flow?"

"We've heard about Cordova's engineering corps, but ten or twenty days wouldn't be nearly enough time. We also have wells."

"What about food supplies?"

"About ten days if we ration it. We're still gathering more."

I see, that's sufficient.

"First, have them dredge the moat. As it is now, they could cross it easily."

While saying this, Ria also deepened the moat with her own magic.

Carrying the excavated soil up onto the walls, she reinforced them with hardening magic.

Seeing Carla heal the injured, some warriors volunteered that they could fight if their old wounds were healed. Restoring old wounds that had already healed incorrectly to their proper form required extra magical power, but it was still welcome to have more experienced fighters.

At night, Ria was busy creating weapons and armor.

First, spears would do for the number of people. Then she needed arrows. She made armor too, all the same type but sturdy.

"What kind of weapons are used in siege warfare in this world?"

Serge asked while storing the weapons and armor she created. Incidentally, Carla was already asleep to recover her magical power, and Fio was busy with personnel assignments.

"I think most things that existed in our previous life exist here too… catapults are probably commonly used. With this town's walls, long ladders would be effective."

"Well, there is magic."

"Yes. But while magic can block magic, science cannot be blocked by magic."

That was this time's surprise weapon.

"I still need to make oil too… But genesis magic is more useful than I first thought."

"That cyclops would be a piece of cake now."

The enemy who should have arrived in three days came in four.

Moreover, the siege weapons they should have prepared were almost nowhere to be seen.

She knew this from reports she'd received from Pineau, but apparently they had conducted arson attacks on Cordova's equipment. That was welcome news.

The Cordovan army dutifully set up their encampment first, then began to deploy.

Saraf had gates to the south, north, and west, and it seemed they would focus their assault on the west gate.

Ria positioned herself there. For the enemies to the south and north, she appointed experienced commanders from among the mercenaries and volunteers.

A cavalryman came to the gate to deliver a demand for surrender, but he fled after being pelted with stones before he could finish speaking. Not using arrows was their small mercy.

And so the battle began.

Cordovan infantry lined up their shields and rushed toward the moat. They threw in the sandbags they were carrying.

Meanwhile, arrows were loosed from the Saraf side, steadily inflicting casualties on the enemy.

"So they came with sandbags… Well, their long ladders were probably burned."

She sent out the dragoons to check on their allied main army's movements.

They had successfully circled to the northwest and were blocking Cordova's rear. Now they would win as long as Saraf didn't fall before they could appear behind the enemy.

"Fire arrows."

Following Ria's order, fire arrows were shot into the moat.

The oil covering its surface ignited, and black flames rose up.

If they had used any method other than filling it in, she would have saved this for later, but with the enemy present, this couldn't be helped.

In the end, that day's fighting concluded with the moat's oil burning out completely and both sides just exchanging arrow fire.

On the second day, the enemy's attack objective became clear.

As expected, they were focusing on the west gate, concentrating small catapults and archers there.

They responded accordingly, but Carla's presence was still unfair.

Soldiers who normally would have been unable to fight after taking arrow wounds were healed in the blink of an eye.

She could even resurrect the dead, so their defensive capability didn't diminish.

Though resurrection magic seemed to have a limit of about twenty people per day, even with intervals.

On the morning of the third day, she sent out the dragoons to scout behind enemy lines.

As Asuka had said, the supply base was destroyed.

However, when they descended despite the danger to investigate in detail, they found that the base wasn't just destroyed; its garrison had been almost completely annihilated.

This was different from Asuka and Pineau's way of doing things. Not just accomplishing the objective, but massacring the enemy as much as possible. This was probably the work of that new Demon King's Army executive that Asuka had mentioned.

They were on Ria's side for now, but this was different from her own principles. Not that she could complain about it.

Separately, they also received reports that the Ogress army had completed their flanking march and reached a position that cut off communications with the Cordovan homeland.

The Cordovan army sent out many scouts, so they had probably already obtained this information. Unless the enemy commander was incompetent, they should already be considering retreat.

Since she needed to command the defense during the day, Ria checked on the wounded soldiers in the mornings along with Carla.

"Your Majesty, to come to such a place yourself…"

"Don't worry about it. For the warriors who are doing the fighting, this is all I can do."

Saying that, she went about treating the wounded.

The awareness that their commander herself was looking after them was very effective at raising morale. Ria made her rounds through the tents, all according to plan.

"This one has pus accumulated. It probably won't heal easily with magic."

Saying that, she cut open the soldier's wound herself, sucked out the pus with her mouth, and then treated the wound.

"Y-Your Majesty…"

To the soldier who was too surprised to speak, Ria smiled with her beautiful visage.

"You're the ones doing the fighting, after all. Please hold out a little longer to protect this town."

Leaving behind the soldier who prostrated himself in reverence, Ria left the tent.

"Ria-sama… you're so kind."

Fio said, unable to hold back her emotion. But Serge felt differently.

"It's in the Records of the Grand Historian, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's all calculated."

Ria murmured with a cold expression.

"Calculated? That just now?"

Fio was surprised, but Carla thought about it and spoke.

"Is there a precedent?"

"Yes, though it's a story from over two thousand years ago. With this, my reputation will spread through that soldier and overall morale will rise. Soldiers who overcome their fear of death are stronger than trained veterans."

Even she thought she was being cynically self-deprecating about it.

If she were just an ordinary mage, she would surely have done the same thing. But now the same actions carried different meanings.

Carla, walking beside her, grasped Ria's hand.

She was surprised. Carla almost never initiated contact, even though she allowed Ria to approach her. For her to take such an action was unexpected.

"I understand that everything you do is based on deep consideration."

Carla squeezed her hand firmly once, then quickly let go.

"No matter what you may be, I am your ally."

Carla's gaze was gentle. Her sky-blue eyes seemed as if they could accept everything.

"Don't spoil me too much."

"Yeah yeah, Nee-chan is just right when she's teased a little."

Serge said that carefreely, but he probably didn't understand just how precious it was to have someone who could treat her like that now that she sat on a throne.

It was precisely because he didn't understand that she was grateful.

On the morning of the fourth day, the Cordovan army began its retreat.

Seeing that, cheers erupted from the walls. They had repelled the Cordovan army.

"We did it, Your Majesty."

Returning a smile to the beaming mayor, Ria's expression immediately turned serious.

"Begin preparations for pursuit. Gather those who aren't fatigued and those who volunteer."

"Pursuit? But the enemy hasn't been worn down that much…"

That was true; they were retreating in orderly fashion. But Ria knew that the real battle started from here.

"The Ogress army and the Cordovan army will clash head-on. At that moment, we attack from the flank."

Even if they succeeded in defending the siege, it would be meaningless if they lost the crucial battle. Cordova would immediately attack Saraf again.

Saraf was small, but it was one of the important trade hubs. If it fell, the flow of magic stones and magic crystals from the Dark Labyrinth to Manesh would be disrupted.

And then Guinevere would be angry.

"We will rest today and begin pursuit tomorrow! Mercenaries and volunteers, only those who wish to participate!"

Ria's declaration rang clearly across the plaza where the soldiers had gathered.

"I'll volunteer!"

She recognized the first one to raise his hand. It was the man whose pus she had sucked out and healed.

"Me too!" "I'm going!" "I'll follow Her Majesty anywhere!"

Soldiers filled with fighting spirit gathered around Ria. Pitiable, fearless warriors. Ria held them dear.

In the end, seven thousand would join the pursuit in addition to Ria's cavalry.

This was nearly the entire mobilized military force of the trading city of Saraf.